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The next morning, when I came down for breakfast, there was hell to pay.
Mom cornered me the moment I hit the bottom step. “I just got off the phone with Mrs. Morden.”
Shit. I should have done damage control last night.“Mom, can I at least have some breakfast before you interrogate me?”
I would not be so lucky. She followed me into the kitchen, yammering in my ear. “She told me Danny has a broken nose because of yourfriend, Wesley Taves.”
“Yeesh. A broken nose?”
She put her hands on her hips. “You don’t sound concerned about this at all.”
“I’m not.” I couldn’t believe I had just said that, but it was the truth.
“Cara! What’s wrong with you?” Dad suddenly interjected, looking up from the paper as he sat at the kitchen table.
“What’s wrong withme?” I looked between the two of them. “Did Mrs. Morden tell youwhyWes punched Danny? Or did he conveniently leave that out when he gave her a play-by-play of the evening?”
Mom crossed her arms over her chest. “It doesn’t matter. That’s an unacceptable way to treat someone. I don’t care why he did it; jealousy is an incredibly ugly thing.”
“Even when a man is sexually harassing someone?”
They both gasped. Dad was incredulous. “You don’t mean to suggest —”
“I’m not suggesting. I’mtellingyou. Danny was a complete creep. He wouldn’t stop touching me even when I asked him to stop several times. Wesley just happened to see and did what I couldn’t do myself.”
“Oh really, Cara, I can’t imagine it could have been that bad.”
I spun around to my mom. “Do you hear yourself? How you’re defending him? I was fucking there! He was touching me and reaching under my skirt. I asked him to stop and he didn’t.”
Mom and Dad were quiet.
“So whose word are you going to trust? Mrs. Morden’s or mine?”
Mom shook her head. “I’m just in shock, Cara. He’s always been such a sweet boy. And that’s all I want for you. All we want.”
I was ready to back down, worrying I had been too harsh. But when I looked into the doorway of the kitchen, Katie was standing there, having been woken up by the commotion. Even with bedhead, she looked elegant. And she nodded at me.Keep going.
No way I was going to let her down. Or myself, for that matter.
“I don’t care what you want any more. I’m a grown-ass woman You don’t control me.”
Dad gasped. “We aren’t trying to control you.”
“Like hell you aren’t. Telling me who I can and can’t date, dictating what I should do with my life and career. You’d have to be blind not to see the strings you’ve put on me. I’m like your little puppet and you want me to dance any direction you want. Be a good girl. Well I’m fucking tired of it.”
“Cara! Language!”
“No! Fuck that!” I could not be stopped. “I’m an adult, a business owner, and I’m going to date and love whoever I goddamn please, whether you like it or not. Did you raise me just to control me? Because if so, I don’t want any part of this family anymore.”
Mom started to come toward me, her hands wanting to soothe my anger, but I wouldn’t let her, bitterly pushing her off. “Cara, we love you. We just want what’s best.”
“Well,Iknow what’s best for me. From now on, you can consultmeabout what’s best. I’m not going to let you tell me how to live my life anymore, especially when you’ve proven that your judgment is so wrong.”
The room was silent.
“Danny Morden is a piece of shit.”
